Former Starbucks CEO and potential 2020 presidential candidate Howard Schultz ripped the Green New Deal put forth by left-wing Democrats as dishonest and unrealistic.
“I read that by 2030 they’re suggesting that every building in America becomes clean energy, conforms to clean energy,” Mr. Schultz said at a CNN town hall with Poppy Harlow. “Just to put that in perspective, because it’s not realistic, that would mean that between 2,000 and 3,000 buildings a day would have to be reconstructed to conform to what they’re saying.
“So let’s be sensible about what we’re suggesting,” he continued. “Let’s not just throw things against a wall because it’s a good slogan or we get a press release. Let’s be truthful. … When I see politicians start throwing things out that I know is not realistic, that is not being honest with the American people.”
The Green New Deal proposed by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic Sen. Ed Markey is a nonbinding resolution calling for transitioning the country from fossil fuels to 100 percent renewable energy within 10 years. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand, all 2020 candidates, have expressed support for the proposal, which has been widely mocked by Republicans and moderates.
Mr. Schultz said Tuesday that some of the economic reforms put forth in the Green New Deal are overly ambitious.
“I don’t understand how you’re going to give a job for everybody, how you’re going to give free college to everybody, how you’re going to create clean energy throughout the country in every building of the land, and then tally this thing up with $32 trillion on Medicare for all, that’s about $40 trillion, plus,” he said.
“Maybe an economist would disagree with me, but I think it’s immoral to suggest that we can tally up 20, 30, 40, $50 trillion of debt to solve a problem that could be solved in a different way,” he added. “It’s not that they’re disingenuous. I think they’re well-intentioned. This is not personal. I just don’t agree this is the right way to approach things.”
Howard Schultz says the Green New Deal is “not realistic”: “Let’s be sensible about what we’re suggesting, let’s not just throw things against a wall because it’s a good slogan or we get a press release. Let’s be truthful.” #SchultzTownHall https://t.co/2Dk5mSoynY pic.twitter.com/xthB3lmBZy
— CNN (@CNN) February 13, 2019
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, an admitted democratic socialist of New York, responded by blasting Mr. Schulz’s personal wealth and accusing him of not having a plan at all.
Reminder that their plan = no plan.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 13, 2019
Why? Because for billionaires, things are already going fine. https://t.co/YrZlU5zvdh
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.